Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-01-24
FROM THE SOUTH BRANCH
II Takes Issue with President Price OH the
Senatorial Caucus Question.

II Takes Issue with President Price Oh the
Senatorial Caucus Question.
tn The EiR0r Of The Register.
SOUTH BRANCH, w. VA, January 81, 1897.
l have been watching with q great deal
of interest the result of the Senatorial con-
trOycrsy now going on at Charleston, and
when it was announced through the REG
IsTER that our Senator'S would not 80 into
the regular organization of the party, the
statement was IN unexpected surprise to
the Democrats of this end of our Senatorial
district 1t was particularly so i'll so far us
that statement included Geo. +. Price, who
was nominated through the rcgUIar party
organization and voted for by many of our
people solely because he was the nominee
OF the whole Democratic party of the dis
trict The people of this Valley felt honor
ed when the Democrats of the State, i'll the
regularly called and properly conducted
caucus of the last session, renominated Mr..
Price for the position OF President of the
highest law-making body in the State; and
we felt that the honor was well bestowed
when again, through the same medium,
the same gentleman received an endorse
ment of his former neutrality-suspicious. our
desire to know the,reasons for his unDem-
ooratic proceeding. In the REGISTER of
yesterday, Just received, You publish an
interview with MI. Price which gives pub
licity to the following reasons
First-That ex-senator Davis was not a
candidate, and that his course was not in
the interest of that distinguished citizen.
Second-That he went to Charleston
convinced that his daty to our people, and
his own inclinationS, WAS 10 20 INTO the
Senatorial caucus, and that through some
influence at Charleston he changed his in
tentiOn.
Third-That the people of this district
''are Overwhelmneingly against the re-
election of Mr. Camden"
As to the first reason assigned, | think
il unfortunate for the true interests of our
people thai Mr.. Davis now declines TO be a
candidate, for the people of this Valley are
for him over any other man in the State,
and none stands higher. This fact was
fully proven in the Charleston convention
Of'Sl, when Mr.. Davis received nearly our
unanimous vote for Delegate TO Chicago,
and was placed in nomination and urged
by Senator FlOurnOy.
In reference to the second reason assigned
we would like Mr. Price TO be little more
explicit and tell ''the nature, kind and
character of influence which, caused him
to change his mind about the efficiency of
the caucus system after he had been elect
ed to aud now holds an honorable public
station through the very medium which he
repudiates Immediately after it serves the
purposes of his own amhitiOn-in other
words, how the creature of q system can at
any time be better, greater or purer than
his creator.
As to the third proposition involved in
tn. published justification of the caucus
made President of the Senate, | beg to
say to your readers, Mr.. Editor, that the
statement that the people whom Mr.. Price
represents are overwhelmingly opposed to
Mr. Camden's return to the Senate is not
true. and no one knows this fact better
than my friend Price. The readers of the
REGISTER will remember that in the ami
mated contest over his denomination the
question of his position on the Camden
succession was in issue, and Mr.. Price, on
that issue was, ahd remained non-com-
initial; that few active spirits in this
valley, who called themselves ANTI
Camden men, presented Hon. Joseph
Vanmeter aS their candidate, and Mr..
Price was nominated over him largely, if
not absolutely, by the friends of Camden
and Davis l was present, sir, in that
convention and voted for Mr.. Price, and
know whereof speak.
have been opposed to Mr.. Camden and
would now prefer Mr.. Davis, but l am for
my party and its success before any man
or set of men, and think this is the
Overwhelming sentiment Of Mr.. Prices
constituent. | have heard but few eK-
press themselves otherwise, and Mr.. Price
will find this true if he will obtain . leave
of absence and come home and inquire for
himself. W.